


What's In Front of You

by Persiflage



Series: Skoulson RomFest 2k16 [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Disabled Character, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Light Angst, Mentions of Cal/Jiaying, Mentions of Coulson/Price, Mentions of Meldrew, Missing Scene, Older Man/Younger Woman, POV Phil Coulson, Skoulson Romfest 2k16
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 18:00:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5752948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daisy tries to find a way to help Dr Garner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's In Front of You

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Skoulson RomFest 2k16 for the prompt 'What's in front of you' & 'miracle'. An alternate ending to 3:08.

Roz's words about seeing what's in front of him seem to reverberate around Coulson's head for hours. Daisy had walked in moments afterwards, and he'd seen the way she'd reacted – and not reacted – to the apparent intimacy of the scene in front of her, and he finds himself thinking more about Daisy and less about Roz in terms of a potential romantic partner. Part of him says he should never think of Daisy that way – she's an Agent, and a damned good one, and he knows she has the potential to become the Director some day. But another, larger ( _more selfish_ whispers his conscience) part of him, thinks about how close his relationship with Daisy has always been. Even before Ian Quinn shot her, and he went all out to find a way to save her, he'd been drawn to her. It's not just a physical attraction – although, of course, he is attracted in that way – she's a gorgeous young woman with a sensual side that she rarely shows, but he's nevertheless noticed. But the generosity of her spirit, her loving kindness, the fact that she cares so intensely about everyone – those are also highly attractive qualities to Coulson. Add the fact that she's a very competent, capable young woman, who's quick to master new skills, and it's a wonder he's ever capable of being anything but a blushing bundle of nerves when he's around her.

He's sure she doesn't feel the same way about him – how could she possibly be interested in a company man who's emotionally, as well as physically, crippled? The idea's absurd, especially when there's someone like Mr Campbell around – he's young, good looking, a fellow Inhuman, and not lacking in a hand.

Coulson glowers to himself as he makes his way to the lab – he'd told Roz the truth when he said it hurts every day, but it's funny how the pain seems less awful when he and Daisy are working side by side: her willingness to overcome obstacles gives him a bit more energy and helps him to ignore the pain a bit more.

"Hey, Phil!" Daisy's bright smile and cheerful greeting immediately lifts his spirits when he sees her as he crosses the lab.

"Daisy," he says happily, then frowns when he sees her gauntlets on the lab table in front of Dr Simmons. "Everything all right?"

Daisy nods. "Yeah, just getting my gloves fine-tuned," she says, giving him another smile. Then she looks at his prosthetic hand, and he fights the urge to hide it behind his back: Daisy's never shown the slightest bit of disgust or dismay at its existence.

"You okay?" she asks gently.

He nods. "I just wanted Fitz to check it – it was smoking after I used it against Lash yesterday."

She winces, but any comment she might have made is lost when Fitz comes into the lab, ranting rather incoherently about something; he cuts himself off as soon as he sees the Director and Daisy, then apologises for keeping Coulson waiting.

"It's fine," Coulson tells him. He exchanges a look with Daisy, wondering about the cut-short rant, but she lifts her eyebrows, then gives a tiny shrug, and he nods.

It occurs to him, then, that it's weird – but not weird – the way they can have an entire conversation with one another without actually speaking a word. He's never had that before, not even with Audrey, and he certainly doesn't have it with Roz. He finds himself relieved that he'd turned down Roz's oblique invitation to extend their relationship further after their drink yesterday.

As Fitz works on his prosthetic, Coulson watches Dr Simmons working on Daisy's gauntlets. He ought to feel more uncomfortable, he thinks, standing next to Daisy with his stump highly visible, but somehow he doesn't – she's talking quietly about what happened yesterday to May and Andrew, overflowing with sympathy for them both – and he finds himself forgetting he's only one-handed at present. 

"I want to look through Jiaying's books and papers," she tells him. "There may be something, some information in them, that will help Andrew."

"There might not," he says, not wanting her to get her hopes up – or anyone else's.

"I have to look," she says, and he nods understandingly.

Fitz has finished checking over his prosthetic, and Simmons has finished tweaking Daisy's gauntlets, so Coulson suggests they grab some coffee and head to his office to discuss it further.

"I want to check in with Mack," she tells him. "Why don't I grab our coffees on the way back to your office?"

"Okay." He gives her a nod, then heads out into the hallway. He can't help feeling glad, all over again, at his inspired choice of Mack as Daisy's field partner – the pair work really well together, both on and off the field. He'd briefly considered assigning himself as Daisy's field partner, but had quickly realised (with some regret) that such a role was incompatible with being the Director of SHIELD. Mack's a good partner for her, though – he's steady, reliable, thoughtful, and just the right amount of sceptical – which works well to counterbalance Daisy's more impulsive (reckless, according to Dr Garner's assessment), occasionally gung-ho, attitude. Not that Daisy isn't capable of being thoughtful, steady, or reliable, of course – but there's no doubt Mack's a good partner for her.

He sits at his desk, staring at the pile of files awaiting his attention, then allows his thoughts to drift back to Daisy. She's wearing her one of her usual outfits today – a sleeveless shirt paired with jeans, and although it's nothing remarkable, he'd still found it pretty alluring. It occurs to him, then, that some people might consider him smitten with her – and he's not sure he wouldn't agree with that assessment.

Before he can drift off completely into a dangerous daydream, Daisy strides into his office carrying two mugs of coffee, which she sets down on either side of his desk, before she settles into the chair opposite him.

He has to bite his lip when she leans forward to pick up her coffee – the sleeveless shirt she's wearing has several buttons undone at the top, enough that he gets a flash of her cleavage, and he can feel his cock reacting in an embarrassingly predictable way.

Fortunately she immediately distracts him with a question about accessing Jiaying's papers and books, and he focuses his attention on their conversation.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you look at that stuff before I gave it to Dr Garner," he says a little contritely.

"Why didn't you?" she asks, and he's relieved that she asks the question without any anger or recrimination in her tone.

"I thought you might find it too painful after everything that had happened. I should have asked you if it was okay, though, before I gave it to Dr Garner."

"I would have preferred you to do that," she agrees. "But I guess I can understand why you didn't." She drinks some of her coffee, her expression thoughtful. "I'd like to study it, though. I know it's not very likely there's anything there that will help Andrew, but I have to check. I know you like Ms Price, but I don't entirely trust her or the ATCU, so I want to be sure we've covered all the bases when it comes to helping Andrew, for both his sake and May's."

"I understand," he says immediately. "I'll arrange for someone to collect Jiaying's papers from Andrew's office."

Daisy shakes her head. "I think I should go. We don't know that the booby-trapped book won't work a second time – do you really want to risk a second person being either killed or transformed through enforced Terragenesis?"

He shakes his head quickly, horrified at the idea. "I'll ask Bobbi to take you," he says.

"You could come too," she says, and he looks at her, surprised by the suggestion.

"You're a capable enough Agent to go alone," he points out.

She rolls her eyes. "I'm not doubting my capabilities," she tells him. "I'm asking you to keep me company while I go and collect my late mother's effects."

He swallows, touched by the request, but simultaneously unnerved by the idea. "I – " He pauses when his voice comes out sounding husky, and clears his throat before continuing, "I'd be honoured to accompany you, Daisy."

She nods. "Will you let me know when it's convenient for us to go?"

"Of course." Before he can say any more, she begins talking about The Cocoon, and Joey's progress, and he can tell that she's trying to downplay the significance of her request.

After she goes out, he calls the lab, and requests Agent Morse's presence at her earliest convenience, then he begins to work through the files on his desk, prioritising what's important, and what can wait.

"You wanted me, boss?" Bobbi asks when she appears in the doorway a little while later.

"Yes, I want you to fly Daisy and I to Culver University. Daisy wants to pick up her mother's books and papers from Dr Garner's office, so she can see if there's anything in them that might help Dr Garner."

"Sure," Bobbi says. "Wouldn't you rather take Agent May, though? She might want to empty Dr Garner's office, after all."

"I'll ask her if she wants to come, but I suspect she'd rather not do that just yet."

"Okay. Just let me know when you're ready to go – I can have the Quinjet prepped and ready in an hour."

"Thank you Agent Morse."

"Do you think Daisy will find anything to help save Dr Garner?"

"I think if anyone can, Daisy can," he says, "but I don't honestly know."

She nods, then goes out, and Coulson settles down to his paperwork.

AC-S-AC-S-AC

"Sandwich, Phil?" Hours later Daisy's voice startles him out of his absorption, and he's smiling even before he looks up and greets her. Then he blinks a bit, because she's very obviously fresh from the shower, even if she is fully clothed – when she leans past his shoulder to set down a plate holding a thickly cut sandwich and a double handful of chips, he can smell her shampoo.

"Thank you," he says, finding his tongue at last. "You didn't have to."

She snorts. "Yeah, Phil, but we both know that if I hadn't, you'd likely have forgotten all about lunch. And it was no trouble to make an extra one for you, along with some for me."

He raises an eyebrow at the stack of sandwiches on her plate. "Been working out?" he hazards.

"Training with Bobbi and May," she says around a mouthful of food. "Simultaneously."

He raises both eyebrows at that, and wishes he'd been there to see it, then he picks up a couple of chips and eats them.

"And you're totally wishing you'd seen that, aren't you?" she asks teasingly.

He can feel the tips of his ears burning as he admits, "I love watching you using your powers."

"I'll show you some other time, I promise."

He nods, and eats a few bites of his sandwich, then says, "I've asked Bobbi to take us to Culver – she can have the Quinjet ready for us within an hour, so let me know when you want to go."

"This afternoon?" she says immediately. "The sooner we go, the sooner I can start looking."

He nods, then asks with some difficulty, which he hopes won't be obvious to her, "Can't Mr Campbell offer any insight?"

"I've asked him to help me to look," she says, and her tone is not encouraging.

"Oh?" 

"Yeah." She scowls at her food. "He's not really that interested in helping Andrew because Lash murdered so many of his friends." She looks up. "He doesn't understand that Andrew's a friend."

"I see." He feels a surge of anger towards Campbell, which he does his best to hide from her.

"You don't like him too much, do you?" she asks, rather too perceptively.

"No," he says honestly. "It annoys me that he spent so long both refusing your help, and to help you in dealing with the outbreak."

She nods, and he can't help wondering if she's going to comment on his dubious relationship with Roz Price.

"I half expected you to be out all night last night," she says, and he raises his eyebrows.

"You thought I'd sleep with her?" he asks, and realises he probably deserves that, given the way he's been behaving lately.

"Yeah. It's not exactly uncommon practise, is it?" 

"For spies," he agrees.

"You don't consider yourself a spy, Phil?"

"Nope." She nods, and after a moment he feels compelled to add, "She did invite me back to her place for a nightcap last night after we'd had a couple of drinks in the bar."

Daisy nods, her expression completely neutral. "Given her background working for all those agencies, I'd expect her to try every trick in the book."

"Yeah." He'll admit, to himself that he'd been a little tempted to say yes, just for the sake of some company, but he felt sure he'd have despised himself afterwards, so he'd turned her down.

He finishes his sandwich, then puts the plate aside to call Bobbi and ask her to prep the Quinjet for departure in an hour.

"Shall I ask May if she wants to come?" Daisy asks as she leans across his desk to collect his empty plate.

Coulson nods. "I don't know if she will, but it won't hurt to ask."

"Okay." She gets to her feet. "I'll see you in the hangar in an hour, Phil."

He nods, and picks up the next file of paperwork that's awaiting his attention.

AC-S-AC-S-AC

May hadn't wanted to come with them, which doesn't surprise Coulson. When they arrive at Culver, Daisy takes point – not that they're actually expecting any trouble, but it's wise to be ready, just in case.

"All clear," she tells Coulson after checking Dr Garner's office.

He follows her inside and looks around for Jiaying's books and papers, hoping that Dr Garner hadn't spread them too far and wide.

"Do you know what we're looking for?" Daisy asks, and Coulson nods as he spots one familiar looking pile. 

"These," he tells her, and picks up an empty box from a neat stack in the corner. 

Daisy carefully piles the books into the box without opening any of them, then adds some more when he recognises them on the window ledge. He then points out a couple of files of paperwork, which she also places in the box.

"Is that it?" she asks after he's spent five minutes looking around without spotting anything else.

"Yeah."

"Sure?" she asks, "because I really don't want to risk leaving anything potentially dangerous here."

"Positive," he tells her.

She nods, then closes the top of the box and tapes it securely. She hefts it onto her shoulder as if it's empty and he can't help gaping at her.

"Have you been working out?" he asks in surprise.

She gives him a cheeky grin. "Always. But I'll let you into a little secret, Phil – I used my powers to lift it."

"I didn't know you could do that." He feels the usual surge of awe, amazement, and arousal that always comes over him when he witnesses her using her powers, and she smirks at him, as if she know exactly what he's feeling.

He blushes, then hurries to open the door for her.

"It's a modified form of what I did when I saved Ms Price after Lash threw her off the balcony," she tells him, then strides through the door. Coulson takes a moment to press the heel of his hand against his burgeoning erection, hoping it won't be too obvious beneath his jeans, then he follows her to where they'd parked one of the less conspicuous SHIELD cars.

Daisy's already loading the box into the trunk as he arrives, and he slips into the passenger seat a moment before she climbs behind the wheel.

She's silent, pensive even, on the drive back to the airfield where they left Bobbi waiting with the Quinjet.

"Are you okay?" he asks once the car's secured and they're strapped into the jump seats.

"Yeah," she says quietly.

On an impulse, Coulson reaches over and clasps her hand in his. She gives him a smile, then leans sideways, against his shoulder.

He thinks she's fallen asleep, but when they're on the final approach to the Playground, she speaks quietly, "I'm going to miss Andrew."

"We all are," he tells her.

"Yeah, but it's kinda big deal for me to miss him, given my previous history with therapists."

"I know." 

She sighs, tightening her hold on his hand, and he squeezes back.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me," he says. "I know I'm not a trained therapist, but I can listen."

"Thanks, Phil."

AC-S-AC-S-AC

Hours later when Coulson's finally finished with his stack of paperwork and he's contemplating a nightcap, Daisy appears in his doorway.

"Hey," she says, and he wonders if he's imagining her diffident tone.

"Hi," he says. "Drink?" When she seems to hesitate, he adds, "A nightcap."

"Thanks Phil, I think I will." She wanders in and crosses to sit on his couch as he gets up to collect two glasses and a bottle of Scotch.

"Are you okay?" he asks as he pours them both a good measure.

"Yeah," she says, "just a bit – I don't know, melancholy, I guess." She accepts the glass from him, and when he sits down near her, she shifts closer until her shoulder's pressed against his.

"Why are you feeling melancholy?" he asks after they've both drunk their first mouthful of Scotch.

"While I've been going through Jiaying's stuff, I've been thinking about May and Andrew, and about Cal and Jiaying. They had such good marriages initially – and then shit happened and fucked things up for them. May and Andrew because of Inhumans – both in Bahrain and now, and my parents because of HYDRA." She sighs and takes a bigger swallow of her drink. "I guess I'm feeling a bit guilty tonight."

"Guilty?" Coulson repeats, confused. 

"Yeah. If my parents hadn't lost me, then Jiaying might not have been captured by Whitehall – and she and Cal would still be together, having their happy ever after. And if it hadn't been for my people, May would never have been through the trauma of what happened in Bahrain, and Andrew wouldn't be locked away currently, waiting for someone to find a way to save him."

"Daisy," he says, more than a bit horrified that she should think any of these things are in any way her fault.

He wraps his arm around her shoulders and hears her give a little sob. "C'mere," he says, taking her glass from her and setting it on the table before he wraps both his arms around her. She sobs more, her tears dampening his neck, and shirt collar, and he tightens his arms around her, rubbing one hand up and down her back in an effort to comfort her.

Eventually her sobs quieten, and he presses a kiss to her hair.

"Daisy, nothing that happened to May and Andrew, or Cal and Jiaying is in any way your fault. You cannot blame yourself for HYDRA's actions when you were a baby, nor for your mother's actions in rigging up that bobby-trapped book. And you're definitely not responsible for what Whitehall did to Jiaying."

She lifts her face from his neck and he reaches up to cup her cheek, thumbing away a lingering tear.

He's a little startled when she cups his hand with her own, then turns her head to press a kiss to his palm.

"Daisy," he whispers.

"Phil." She lowers their hands, then leans in and kisses him on the mouth. It's a brief, tender brush of her lips against his, but he instantly wants more.

"Is this okay?" she asks.

"Yeah, Daisy," he breathes, then leans in to kiss her more emphatically. She makes a desperate, pleading sort of noise in the back of her throat, opening her mouth under his, and he eagerly slips his tongue past her lips.

She climbs into his lap, and he groans as her weight settles on him – he's already rock hard.

They kiss for several minutes and it's only a need to breathe that finally forces them to pull apart again.

"Phil." She shifts on his lap and he groans again.

"Fuck, Daisy." He lifts her up and gets to his feet, making her squeak, probably in surprise, before she wraps her legs around his waist. He carries her out of his office, grateful it's only a short distance down the hall to his bunk.

He gets the door open and carries her inside, setting her down on her feet so he can turn to close and lock the door. When he turns back towards Daisy she presses her body against his and kisses him with a fierce hunger that makes him moan. He feels her snake her hand inside his jeans and he moans more loudly when she cups his cock through his boxers.

"Bed?" he mutters, and she nips at his bottom lip before laving her tongue over the spot.

"Yeah." She squeezes his dick, then pulls her hand free and grabs his hand, pulling him across the room to his bed.

They strip each other rapidly, dropping their clothes at their feet, then Daisy tumbles him onto the bed, startling him.

"Fuck," he gasps. She climbs onto the bed with him, then straddles his hips.

"Oh yeah, Phil," she agrees, pressing her wet sex to his swollen shaft. "Got any condoms?"

"Top drawer," he tells her, nearly breathless with desire.

She leans over, still maintaining the pressure on his cock as she pulls open the drawer and takes out the packet of condoms. She sits back on his thighs and he watches as she rolls a condom down the length of his dick, before she moves back up to lower herself onto him.

He clings to her hips as she slowly sinks down. She's hot and wet and tight, and he has to fight very hard not to come the moment he's buried inside her.

"Daisy." He groans her name as she begins to circle her hips above him, and she leans down to kiss him, her muscles tightening around his cock, and he clasps her hips more firmly before he begins to thrust. 

She moves with him, going faster and faster, and driving them both closer and closer to climax, and then they're both coming, and he realises he can hear things rattling in his room.

"Is that - ?" he asks, startled.

She blushes. "Um, yeah, apparently my orgasms provoke earthquakes."

He can't help smirking at her, feeling it's quite a compliment to him that he gave her a quake-worthy orgasm. She shakes her head at him, then pokes at his shoulder.

"Cut it out, Phil."

"What?" he asks with faux innocence.

"You're gloating," she accuses him.

"Can't blame a guy." He smirks some more, and she laughs softly, then lies down on top of him, and he wraps his arms loosely around her body. They kiss languidly, and Coulson feels as though his whole being is humming with contentment.

"Can you feel that?" he asks.

"Yeah Phil. If you were a cat, you'd be purring right about now." She brushes her nose against his, then kisses him on the brow, both his cheeks, his nose, both his eyelids, and finally his mouth.

"Daisy," he whispers, because the humming sensation seems even more noticeable, and while it's not scary, it's a little weird and unexpected.

"I can stop it, if you'd prefer?"

"That's you?" he asks, startled.

"That's _us_ ," she corrects him. She looks a bit apprehensive, he realises, and he cups her face in his hands, kissing her long and slow until she seems to melt against him.

"I kinda like it," he says when he finally releases her mouth. "It makes me feel like we're in tune."

She chuckles quietly. "Phil, we literally are."

"Will anyone else be aware of it?"

She shakes her head. "And you'll only be aware of it at times like this."

"That's probably just as well," he observes.

"Why?" 

"Well, you're already quite a distraction for me – which is on me, not you – but if we were humming at each other all the time, I'd be completely useless." 

She smirks at him, then wriggles her body against his, making him moan.

"How long have I been a distraction to you, Phil?" she asks.

"Always," he breathes. "Fuck, Daisy, you have no idea. I've wanted this from the very first day."

"You never said anything," she observes.

"I couldn't," he tells her. "I didn't want any hint of that kind of scandal attached to you. It was hard enough for you anyway – joining SHIELD from The Rising Tide, without the benefit of training at the Academy. People looked at you askance because of those things – I couldn't add the stigma of being my lover to what you had to deal with." He takes a deeper breath. "You're already a brilliant agent, Daisy, and I always knew you would be, given even half a chance. But you have the potential to be the Director some day, and I don't ever want anyone to accuse you of achieving your successes because of who you were or are sleeping with."

"Does that mean we can't do this again?"

"I always want to do this with you," he says, "but I don't want you to deal with the kinda bullshit you might get if people knew we were lovers."

She lifts her eyebrows. "So we don't tell people."

He swallows. "Are you sure?"

She smirks. "Yeah, Phil, I kinda like the idea of you being my dirty little secret." She accompanies this statement with a squeeze of her internal muscles, and he shudders in pleasure: he can feel his cock stiffening again.

She pulls herself off him, making him groan at the loss of contact, then she disposes of the condom.

He watches as she takes out another one and rolls it down his shaft. "I want you to fuck me this time, Phil."

"Yes," he says eagerly.

She stretches out on the bed, giving him a heated look that goes straight to his cock. He moves over her, and brings the tip of his dick to her entrance, stroking her with it until she begins to moan, then he slides inside her, and she wraps her strong, powerful legs around his waist, pulling him deeper.

"Fuck me fast and hard, Phil," she whispers in his ear, and he can only obey.

He's not sure if this is a miracle, or a fairytale, or even both, but he plans on grabbing this chance of happiness and holding on with both hands.


End file.
